You and I are inclined to think that the Cold War ended with the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989.
And we won.
Led by Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher western civilisation won the Cold War.
That is now looking doubtful as a generation born after the fall of the wall is now doing its best to destroy our civilisation from within.
But, leaving that to one side for a moment—where did the expression ‘Cold War’ come from?
The Oxford English Dictionary defines ‘cold war’ as meaning, ‘A state of hostility that falls short of armed conflict, typically consisting of threats, propaganda, espionage, or other similar measures.’
You and I probably assume that ‘cold war’ was coined after the end of the ‘hot war’ (the shooting war) that was Word War Two.
But to my surprise it predates that great conflict.
‘Cold war’ is recorded as early as March 1938, when the news magazine Nation ran a headline about ‘Hitler’s Cold War.’
In other words, before he launched his massive military machine on Europe in September 1939 Hitler was pursuing his aims by means of propaganda, spying and other means.
This was the ‘cold war’ that preceded his devastating, six-year ‘hot war.’
Then after World War Two the compound noun ‘cold war’ was revived.
It was even used during the Second World War by George Orwell in 1943—but he seems to be referring back to the period before the shooting started, when innocent Englishmen failed to understand the danger posed by Hitler’s totalitarianism.
So, what about now?
Is it time to revive the expression ‘cold war’?
Is there a ‘fifth column’ of enemies in our midst trying to eat away like acid at the foundations of our civilisation?
If so, who are these enemies within?
Marxists?
Radical Islamists?
An empty-headed generation who fail to appreciate the treasures handed down to them by their grandparents and great-great-grandparents?
It is a hard war to fight because there is no distinct ‘front line’—but if there really is a ‘cold war’ then we need to be ‘cold warriors’!
The latest issue of The Spectator Australia is in newsagents now, with the cartoon of Jim Chalmers becoming the father of a trillion-dollar debt on the front cover -- and my 'Language' column in the back.
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BY THE WAY...
If you'd like to see my A-Z list of Aussie slang, you'll find it here in the Australian Geographic website -- A-Z list of Aussie slang. Here’s the link: The A-Z of Aussie slang - Australian Geographic
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